Knife sheath



July 17, 1962 R. L. MANNING 3,044,673

KNIFE SHEATH y Filed July l0, 1959 Fig-1 3,044,673 KNIFE SHEATH RichardL. Manning, Whittier, Calif. (679 Center St., Costa Mesa, Calif.) Filedduly 10, 1959, Ser. No. 826,264 4 Claims. (Cl. 224-2) This inventionrelates to an improved knife sheath of the type having knife bladeengaging means for releasably retaining a knife in the sheath.

The primary object lof the invention is to provide a more efficient andpractical sheath of the kind indicated which has fa spring clip,yserving as the knife blade retaining means, one of whose arms issecured to a wall of they pocket of the sheath, and is protectivelycovered, so las to protect the blade of a knife engaged in the clipbetween the protected arm and the other arm of the clip, and so as toprovide 'a friction-producing component, which enhances thekniferetaining action of the sheath.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in Ia knife sheath of thecharacter indicated above, a retaining clip which is designed tofrictionally grip the thicker or back edge area of a knife blade, withthe cutting edge area of the blade extending out of the clip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a knife sheath of thecharacter indicated above, wherein the pocket of the sheath istransversely tapered, and the retaining clip is located in the widerpart of the pocket and the cutting edge of a knife blade is protectivelydisposed in the narrower part of the pocket.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a knife sheath ofthe character indicated above wherein the incorporation therein of aretaining clip of the character indicated above adds little to the costof manufacture of the sheath, and weight, of the sheath, and makes noincrease in the ybulk of the sheath.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description `and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form ofthe invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a side elevation of a knife sheath of the invention, showinga knife with its blade inserted in and retainably secured in the sheath;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 ofFlGURE 1;fand

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view lof the sheath in a partially completedcondition.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designatelike parts throughout the several views, the illustrated knife sheath,generally designated 10, cornpris'es a preferably one-piece, generallyL-shaped blank of flexible sheet material, such as leather, comprising avertically elongated, ydouble rear panel 11 which includes aparallel-sided, generally rectangular upper portion 12, having sideedges 14 and 16, and a lower portion 13, which has a downwardly andlaterally inwardly curved free side edge 2Q, which is a continuation `ofthe side edge 14, and a vertical straight fold 22 which is acontinuation of the side edge 16. The fold 22 serves as the connectionto the lower rear wall portion 12 of a front wall 24, which has the sameshape as the lower portion 18, and has a curved free side'edge 26, whichis secured coextensively to and along the curved side edge Ztl, bysuitable means, such as stitching 28, so as to form a knife blade pocket30, having an upper edge 32. The upper portion rear wall portion 12 isprovided with suitable belt attachment means, such asa pair of spacedvertical slots 34. The rear panel 11 is composed of a rear ply 13 and afront panel 15, these panels being coextensive and se- States Paten icecured together along their edges, as indicated at 17. The fold 22 is acontinuation of the rear ply 1-3.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the fold 22 is designedly broad and curved, ratherthan sharp and creased, so that the cross section of the knife bladepocket 30 has a commashaped cross section, with the narrower side 36thereof no-t substantially Wider than the. tapered cutting edge portion38 of a knife blade 40, of such as a hunting knife 32, having a handle44, anda flanged guard 46 between the handle and the blade, which isadapted to bear upon the `upper edge 32 of the pocket 30, as shown inFIG- URE 1. i

Located in the wider side 43 of the pocket 30 is retaining spring clipS0, preferably of non-corrosive metal, which, preferably comprises asingle length of Hat spring strip, which includes a `flat, horizontallyelongatedn rear arm 52, which lbears `against the front `side of thelower portion of the front ply 15 of the rear panel 11 and behind thefront ply 15 thereof, at a point near to and spaced downwardly from theupper edge v32 of the pocket 30, and is secured in place, by suitablemeans, such as a hea-ded rivet 54, extending through the larm 52 and therear ply 13. The clip 50 further comprises, on its end adjacent to thefold 22, a preferably integral forward gripping arm 56. As seen inFIGURE 2, the rear clip arm 52 is shorter than the width of the pocket30, and

i has a free end 58 which is spaced from the narrower side 36 of thepocket 3d.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the forward gripping arm 56 of the clip 50 iscurved laterally outwardly, forwardly, laterally inwardly, andrearwardly to a free end 60, and is tensioned rearwardly toward the rear`arm 52. The curvature of the forward arm 56 is preferably substantiallyuniform and arcuate, and the diameter of the arm 58 is such that itoccupies the space between the rear arm 52 and forward or fron-t wall24, and bears supportably against and gives arcuate form to the fold 22.`On the free end 60 of the forward gripping arm 56 a reversely curvedterminal 62, which curves away from the rear arm 52, and provides foreasy and non-marring insertion of the point and the back edge 64 `of theknife blade 4l) into place between the clip arm 56 and the front ply l5,as the blade 49 is inserted downwardly in and is moved laterally intoplace therebetween. As seen in FIGURES l and 3, the clip 50 is ofsubstantial vertical dimension, the forward arm 56 preferably beinggreater in height than in lateral or horizontal width, so as to providethe forward arm 56 with substantial gripping tension and with arelatively wide bearing upon a knife blade, without being required .tobe of relatively thick or heavy gauge.

The forward head 66 of the rivet 54 is preferably inset in an opening 55in the front ply 15, in order to provide a non-marringsurface on thefront ply 15 covering the rear clip arm 52, and at the same time providea knife blade engaging friction medium more elfective than the surfaceof the rear clip arm 52.

It will be evident fromV the foregoing, and from the drawings, that aknife -blade 4t) inserted downwardly in the pocket 30 between theforward gripping arm 56 of the clip 5l) and the front ply 15 of the rearpanel 11, will be held securely against accidental removal from thepocket and against being'jogged out of the pocket, but can be easily andquickly removedv from the sheath by drawing upwardly on the handle 44,preferably with an accompanying slight forward pressure on the handle44, so as to spread the gripping arm 56 of the clip 50 away from therear panel 11.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form ofthe invention, it is to be understood that the invention is notnecessarily conned thereto, and that any change or changes in thestructure of and in the relative Iarrangements of components thereof4are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as definedby the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A knife sheath comprising a rear panel, a front wall secured `alongits edges to related edges of the rear panel and defining a pocket, anda spring clip located within the pocket and extending in a transversedirection with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pocket and havinga transversely-extending rear arm fixed to said rear panel, and atransversely-extending forward gripping arm fixed at one end to saidrear arm and having a free end, said forward arm being rearwardlytensioned toward said rear arm, said pocket having Ian upper edge, saidclip being located below and near to the upper edge of the pocket, saidrear clip arm being substantially flat, and said forward clip arm beinglaterally outwardly, forwardly, laterally inwardly, and rearwardlycurved toward said free end, said forward clip arm being arcuatelycurved, a broadly curved fold securing said front wall to a related sideedge of the rear panel and giving said pocket a relatively narrow sideand a relatively wide side, said clip being located in the wide side ofthe pocket, with said forward clip arm being supportably engaged withsaid fold and the forward wall.

2. A knife sheath comprising a rear panel, a front wall secured alongits edges to related edges of the rear panel and defining a pocket, anda spring clip located within the pocket and extending in a transversedirection with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pocket and havinga transversely-extending rear arm fixed to said rear panel, and atransversely-extending forward gripping arm fixed `at one end to saidrear arm and having a free end, said forward 'arm being rearwardlytensioned toward said rear arm, said pocket having an upper edge, saidclip being 1ocated below and near to the upper edge of the pocket, saidrear clip arm being substantially flat, yand said forward clip arm beinglaterally outwardly, forwardly, laterally inwardly, and rearwardlycurved toward said free end, said forward clip -arm being arcuatelycurved, a broadly curved fold securing said front wall to a related sideedge of the rear panel and giving said pocket a relatively narrow sideand a relatively wide side, said clip being located in the wide side ofthe pocket, with said forward clip arm being supportably engaged withsaid fold and the forward wall, said forward clip arm being on an end ofthe rear clip arm, said rear clip arm having a free end spaced fromadjacent edges of the rear panel and front wall, `and a pad extendingacross the front of the rear panel between the free end of the forwardclip arm and said rear panel.

3. A knife sheath comprising a rear panel, a front wall secured alongits edges to related edges of the rear panel and defining a pocket, anda spring clip located within the pocket and extending in a transversedirection with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pocket and havinga transversely-extending rear arm fixed to said rear panel, and atransversely-extending forward gripping `arm fixed at one end to saidrear arm and having a free end, said forward arm being rearwardlytensioned toward said rear arm, said rear panel comprising a rear plyand a front ply, said rear clip -arm being disposed between said frontand rear plies, a rivet extending through said rear ply and said rearclip arm and securing the latter in place, the front ply having anopening registered with said rivet, the adjacent end of the rivet beinginset in said opening.

4. A sheath for a knife having a handle and a blade, said sheathcomprising a blade pocket of substantially the length of a knife blade,said pocket comprising front and rear panels, a spring clip disposedwithin said pocket and extending in a transverse direction with respectto the longitudinal axis of the pocket and comprising atransversely-extending rear arm secured to said rear panel and atransversely-extending forward arm, said forward arm having a free endfacing and spaced from 4a side of the pocket, said forward arm beingforwardly curved between its ends, and a pad secured to the forward sideof the rear panel, the rear clip arm being disposed between the pad andthe rear panel with the free end of the forward clip arm bearing againstthe forward side of the pad.

References Cited in the file of this patcnt UNITED STATES PATENTS1,092,244 Coolidge Apr. 7, 1914 1,439,310 Hay et al Dec. 19, 19221,610,535 Smith Dec. 14, 1926 2,109,232 Hoyt Feb. 22, 1938 2,387,900Hartwell Oct. 30, 1945 2,528,501 Davis Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS107,863 Austria Nov. 10, 1927

